**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[mr j 858]

I hardly agree with Colin's views.

But for once he actually is on point here:

 

[whiplashtw03]

 

 

You guys were really hype over that 7-5 start eh?

We were NEVER winning anything this year. Even getting the 8th seed would just be GS 4-0 fodder.

Bottom line to the season is letting Luke start to coach these kids up and get a jump on their future. That's all.

It's a really rough stretch, after a nice start to the year. No one needs to jump off any bridges. Well, maybe one can.

#StayTheCourse

I don't disagree but this is hard to watch. 8 games in a row and we should have won at least 4. I didn't expect long losing streaks...

Team full of kids, expect losing streaks.

But expect learning from that as well.

OKC, Golden State used to lose a ton of games as young fellas as well, they both did ok in the years to come.

GSW went 36-46 in Curry's second season. His 3rd season (shortened year), he only played 23 of 66 games due to bad ankles and the Warriors still won 23 games. His 4th season, the Warriors went 47-35 and lost in the WCF Semifinals.

OKC went 50-32 in Westbrook's second season and haven't looked back ever since.

These Lakers with DLo as their leader and as their roster currently stands won't come anywhere close to what GSW and OKC did in their first 4 years with Curry and Westbrook.

 

[MVP]

Tankity tank tank

 

[mr j 858]

I'd be down for a PG13 trade if Indiana was willing to listen to a Randle & Clarkson and a couple expiring contracts to get a deal made.

Pacers of course would want us to take a bad contract off they're hands and Mitch would probably need to get a 3rd team involved.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

I hardly agree with Colin's views.

But for once he actually is on point here:

The hell is going on in your avi dawg?

 

[whiplashtw03]

 

If it's okay for you that DLo is the chosen leader of this team, then your standards aren't as high as mine.

I'm not saying we need the next Kobe. What I'm saying is that DLo is not a franchise player who can put this team on his shoulders and say, "Follow me to the championship."

The Lakers are all about SUPERSTARS. And the fact that we don't have one right now, the fact that we won't have one anytime soon if we don't move some of these young assets, is not okay with me. 

You honestly believe Mitch and Jim have the patience to wait another 4-5 losing seasons hoping that this team will develop into a championship contender without adding any superstar players via trade or free agency? I doubt it.

There really isn't any franchise changing players available for LAL and that's because there aren't that many to begin with.

Thats why even if I agreed with you I still wouldn't part with my young talent if DMC and / or PG is who I'm netting

You talking abt LAL being all about championships and superstars but in the same breath wanna trade your youth for Demarcus and Paul George. That makes no sense.

Makes sense to me. 

I'd rather have a lineup with Boogie and/or Paul George in it because 1) the Lakers have a go-to threat who commands double teams thereby opening up the game for the rest of the guys such as BI, Deng, Clarkson, etc. and 2) the Lakers become a more attractive destination for upcoming free agents since free agents will know they will play alongside a superstar who can make the game much easier for them in their quest for a championship.

Ain't nobody coming to LA as a free agent anytime soon when they look at our roster. Which means....more mediocrity and no playoff appearances and more and more frustration out of Lakers fans who are tired of being the losers while watching the Clippers year in and year out produce playoff appearance after playoff appearance. 

I don't think Mitch and Jim are having it.

 

[P C H]

Dude, how many franchise changing superstars are there?

GSW, LAC, SAS, and The Cavs have basically all the franchise changing players.

You aren't getting those.

Towns, Porzingis, Davis, aren't being traded and they haven't even made the playoffs yet (with the exception of Davis) so you aren't getting them

Who are you trading your young assets for that would put the lakers on the fast track to a top 3 team in the conference? Midas whale wait at least longer than 28 games to see what you have to work with

 

[whiplashtw03]

I'd be down for a PG13 trade if Indiana was willing to listen to a Randle & Clarkson and a couple expiring contracts to get a deal made.

Pacers of course would want us to take a bad contract off they're hands and Mitch would probably need to get a 3rd team involved.

Now you're talking

 

[whiplashtw03]

Dude, how many franchise changing superstars are there?

GSW, LAC, SAS, and The Cavs have basically all the franchise changing players.

You aren't getting those.

Towns, Porzingis, Davis, aren't being traded and they haven't even made the playoffs yet (with the exception of Davis) so you aren't getting them

Who are you trading your young assets for that would put the lakers on the fast track to a top 3 team in the conference? Midas whale wait at least longer than 28 games to see what you have to work with

Once again, do you think free agents in 2017 and 2018 will come play for the Lakers if the Lakers have ZERO superstar players on their roster?

Minnesota, as bad as they've been this season, will have a much better chance to attract free agents than the Lakers in the next 2-3 years simply because of Wiggins (who will be an All-Star real soon) and KAT, who will be an All-Star this year. All it takes for Minnesota is to acquire a couple of solid veteran role players who want to help these young future All-Stars win and next thing you know, they'll be in the playoffs much much sooner than the Lakers.

You're not thinking big. Forget all of these baby steps you're trying to take. You have to look at the big picture.

DLo, Randle, and Clarkson will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, attract any free agents. And the only way for role players such as Nance, Ingram, Deng, Mozgov to excel and play better is when they play alongside superstars. In addition, having a superstar on the team will also make Luke's job that much easier. 

 

[P C H]

Once again, do you think free agents in 2017 and 2018 will come play for the Lakers if the Lakers have ZERO superstar players on their roster?

Minnesota, as bad as they've been this season, will have a much better chance to attract free agents than the Lakers in the next 2-3 years simply because of Wiggins (who will be an All-Star real soon) and KAT, who will be an All-Star this year. All it takes for Minnesota is to acquire a couple of solid veteran role players who want to help these young future All-Stars win and next thing you know, they'll be in the playoffs much much sooner than the Lakers.

You're not thinking big. Forget all of these baby steps you're trying to take. You have to look at the big picture.

DLo, Randle, and Clarkson will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, attract any free agents. And the only way for role players such as Nance, Ingram, Deng, Mozgov to excel and play better is when they play alongside superstars. In addition, having a superstar on the team will also make Luke's job that much easier. 

so what happens if the lakers at some point trade for DMC or PG and are still bad, and they leave for better situations in free agency? Then what?

 

[Maximus Meridius]

DLo, Randle, and Clarkson will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, attract any free agents. And the only way for role players such as Nance, Ingram, Deng, Mozgov to excel and play better is when they play alongside superstars. In addition, having a superstar on the team will also make Luke's job that much easier. 

So kids who have showed drastic improvement in one year the book is already written on them.



I'm out.

 

[Lizakers]

Were stuck with Dlo Randle JC
Midas whale let them develop

they haven't shown anything to convince a GM to trade a franchise player for them

 

[mr j 858]

This current stretch of loses though man to bottom feeder teams who aren't going to make the playoffs: Suns, Nets, Kings is so deflating and disgusting.

Save the excuses of the injuries and Randle not being 100% healthy and still playing.

There's just no excuse to be losing to teams like this.

The other low lights were the loss at Memphis when they had only 9 playerS available to play that night and Julius choking 3 free throws at the end.

Losing to Dallas at home with Dirk & DWill out.


SMDH :x

 

[whiplashtw03]

Just saw Russell's postgame interview with Trudell. Dude blaming the loss on missed free throws SMDH. He has no clue.

 

[P C H]

There's no guarantee that the lakers with cousins or PG would be good enough to net other stars for support in free agency anyway.

They would have to trade a lot for them, and somehow a team led by clarkson and Demarcus cousins wouldn't be too attractive to other stars in free agency, I think.

 

[whiplashtw03]

 

Once again, do you think free agents in 2017 and 2018 will come play for the Lakers if the Lakers have ZERO superstar players on their roster?

Minnesota, as bad as they've been this season, will have a much better chance to attract free agents than the Lakers in the next 2-3 years simply because of Wiggins (who will be an All-Star real soon) and KAT, who will be an All-Star this year. All it takes for Minnesota is to acquire a couple of solid veteran role players who want to help these young future All-Stars win and next thing you know, they'll be in the playoffs much much sooner than the Lakers.

You're not thinking big. Forget all of these baby steps you're trying to take. You have to look at the big picture.

DLo, Randle, and Clarkson will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, attract any free agents. And the only way for role players such as Nance, Ingram, Deng, Mozgov to excel and play better is when they play alongside superstars. In addition, having a superstar on the team will also make Luke's job that much easier. 

so what happens if the lakers at some point trade for DMC or PG and are still bad, and they leave for better situations in free agency? Then what?

You didn't answer my question. Which means you already know free agents aint' coming here without a superstar on our roster.

Secondly, Cousins and PG certainly ain't no Dwight Softy Howard so I ain't worried at all that 1) the Lakers will be worse off with them, and 2) that Boogie and PG would leave the Lakers should they start wearing the purp n gold.

 

[mr j 858]

There's no guarantee that the lakers with cousins or PG would be good enough to net other stars for support in free agency anyway.

They would have to trade a lot for them, and somehow a team led by clarkson and Demarcus cousins wouldn't be too attractive to other stars in free agency, I think.

A team built around:

D'Lo, Ingram, Nance Jr. and with either PG13 or Boogie is a hella lot better future than this current young un proven core that we got right now.

 

[whiplashtw03]

There's no guarantee that the lakers with cousins or PG would be good enough to net other stars for support in free agency anyway.

They would have to trade a lot for them, and somehow a team led by clarkson and Demarcus cousins wouldn't be too attractive to other stars in free agency, I think.

Even though there's no guarantee the Lakers with Cousins or PG would be good enough to net other free agent stars, they have a MUCH BETTER CHANCE by virtue of their talent alone. 

I'll take that any day over having DLo and Randle sit at offseason free agent meetings with Mitch, Jim, and the prospective free agent.

 

[whiplashtw03]

 

DLo, Randle, and Clarkson will NOT, I repeat WILL NOT, attract any free agents. And the only way for role players such as Nance, Ingram, Deng, Mozgov to excel and play better is when they play alongside superstars. In addition, having a superstar on the team will also make Luke's job that much easier. 

So kids who have showed drastic improvement in one year the book is already written on them.

I'm out.

Randle has NOT shown "Drastic" improvement. And neither has DLo. 

 

[P C H]

I see what this boils down to:

Paul George and Demarcus Cousins alone (because both of them are not coming) aren't changing the lakers fortunes from a win perspective much

The laker lure, purple and gold, Paul George, DMC, that's not gonna lure free agents to the lakers. What's going to bring free agents IMO is one thing: winning.

Gutting all your assets for Cousins or Paul george is not going to make a dramatic enough increase in the conference to net other superstars

Not to mention we aren't even sure if the lakers youth could net a PG or DMC in the open trade market.

 

[mr j 858]

Serious question.

What is the infatuation with Clarkson some of you have with him?

I mean if dude is coming off the bench right now and is in consistent and still sucks on defense, what makes you all think he will get a little better even if he was a starter on this team?

 

[P C H]

If the lakers traded D'Lo, randle, and filler or whatever else to get Cousins tomorrow, the team would suck and be void of their best young assets

So you go into free agency making pitches with cousins BI and Clarkson in the heels of like a 23 win team...

 

[whiplashtw03]

I see what this boils down to:

Paul George and Demarcus Cousins alone (because both of them are not coming) aren't changing the lakers fortunes from a win perspective much

The laker lure, purple and gold, Paul George, DMC, that's not gonna lure free agents to the lakers. What's going to bring free agents IMO is one thing: winning.

Gutting all your assets for Cousins or Paul george is not going to make a dramatic enough increase in the conference to net other superstars

Having PG or Cousins on the Lakers roster will automatically result in more wins. And who says the Lakers would have to gut all of their assets to acquire Cousins or PG?

Mitch may only have to give up 2 out of these four players (DLo, Randle, Clarkson, Ingram) plus a Williams or a Mozgov or a Deng to make the trade happen. And even better for the Lakers if they can get a third team involved. 

If the Lakers can acquire a PG or Boogie and only have to give up say, Randle and Clarkson or DLo and Randle, and you throw in Deng or Moz or Lou, it's a win-win. This team is horrible as it stands now, and they will be a non-playoff team again next year. You almost have to part ways with some of those assets while the jury is still out on their potential. Once other teams realize in a couple of years that DLo and Randle won't pan out to be stars, any value they have left is thrown out the window and you won't be able to get anything for them. At least right now, other teams may still covet them because of their so-called potential.

 

[halcyon]

What the hell happened out there tonight guys?



Bscott must be laughing right now.

 

[whiplashtw03]

If the lakers traded D'Lo, randle, and filler or whatever else to get Cousins tomorrow, the team would suck and be void of their best young assets

So you go into free agency making pitches with cousins BI and Clarkson in the heels of like a 23 win team...

If Mitch and Jim thought they would be worse with Cousins, they wouldn't make the deal. 

My opinion, contrary to yours, is that Boogie's presence in and out of the paint will automatically lift the games of guys like Deng, Nance, Ingram, Clarkson, etc because not only is Boogie a mismatch for 90% of opposing teams, but the fact Boogie commands double teams will lead to so many open shots and open lanes for the Lakers' role players. These factors alone will lead to a lot more than 23 wins.